Sharing mixtapes is an unstoppable idea. Muxtape is not.
Anthony wrote an intriguing post suggesting that Muxtape go open source so as to avoid legal action from the labels:
Muxtape should be open source. If Muxtape was the easiest + best open source web tool to share your own music taste via a mixtape, that would be unstoppable. (more)
I follow the argument that the labels are less likely to go after individuals who are self-hosting MP3 files than they are to sue a centralized service like Muxtape.com. That’s a smart solution. However, I wonder whether the hassle of installing your own version of Muxtape would severely limit the app’s potential to go mainstream. My mom might want to make a mix, but good luck getting her to find a hosting provider, install software on a server, and other technical hurdles required to run your own open source software. Muxtape’s easy mix interface would be offset by an arduous setup / install process. I suppose some third party companies might emerge that make that process more seamless, but wouldn’t they then be an easy target for RIAA just like Muxtape is today (or soon will be if it continues to grow)? Thoughts?
